GATHERING CHI
by Neil Davies
Summary: An impressionable girl, a desperate robbery, greed, determination and wonder. Amidst it all a strange janitor who seems able to perform miracles.


7

GATHERING CHI

Veronica had been hoping to see him again and when he walked in she experienced a burst of heat in her chest, she knew at once that it was excitement and anticipation; good grief was she falling in love with the guy, she hardly knew him?

A janitor in the building for less than a week he'd really made an impact with his calm efficient manner, his humble appearance and disarming smile plus he had the softest voice of any man she'd ever met. Some had referred to him as shabby when he first arrived, but even his fiercest detractors had come to realise that Caine was a useful guy to have around.

"It's the photocopier again," Jay was the office manager and full of himself, short and balding with bad breath he was no oil painting but his ego more than made up for it. Hoping to catch Caine's eye Veronica deliberately knocked some papers off her desk to make a noise, before they could even reach the floor deft hands gathering them up and there were back where they belonged in an instant. How could anyone move so fast or collect fluttering paper,

"Thanks," she offered her best smile, you're welcome said the brief nod of his head.

"It's over here," Jay's voice had a braying quality when he was being sarcastic and when wasn't he, "Damn thing keeps jamming and now it's packed up altogether; a new machine as well."

Approaching the photocopier Caine didn't touch it he ran his hand through the air above it then sank both hands down the sides.

"Well," jay sounded impatient, "Aren't you going to open it up or something, this is what we pay you for?"

Oh shut up you little creep Veronica wanted to say just before Caine poked the copy button and the machine hummed to life, a light flashing under the lid as it copied the most recent document left there. Stunned Jay rubbed his bald patch, "Must have been okay after all," he croaked, "I mean you didn't do anything."

Oh yes he did thought the receptionist, something amazing and mysterious.

"Would you like some water Mr Caine," she knew he didn't drink coffee, when he smiled a yes she hurried over to the water dispenser, feeling a bit dry herself.

"I'm sure Caine here is very busy Ronny," the office manager (more like twerp) declared but Veronica handed Caine the small plastic cone of water anyway.

"It's hot in here today, stifling," she said.

"Air conditioning, something else for you to work your magic on Mr Caine, if you can tear yourself away from the fragrant Ronny," Jay flashed a humourless smile which she returned with equal contempt.

"Idiot," she muttered once he'd gone but Caine displayed no ill will, did he never complain about anything?

"Your pain has gone," he said and Ronny blinked in surprise, yes it had and she hadn't even noticed. The other day he'd given her these herbs telling her to boil them in water and drink the concoction twice a day. It hadn't tasted too bad actually, a bit grainy and sour but apart from that there had been no side-effects not like you got with pills off the doctor.

"I feel great;" she admitted rubbing her stomach, "What are those herbs?"

"Roots from my old country," he replied?

"China," she asked knowing Caine had spent time there when younger, when he nodded she said, "You must miss it?"

"This is my home now," he said without rancour.

"I wish I could travel – Mexico, Europe, South East Asia," when would she ever have enough money, her savings had gone and this job barely covered the rent?

"All things are possible," he answered.

"Do you think so Caine, I mean do you honestly believe that," she wished she could?

"If you hold a picture in your mind of where you want to go," he began.

"Oh you mean visualisation," she had been trying that for as long as she could remember without any success; "It doesn't work for me I wish it did."

Putting his water aside he moved closer to her, was he going to touch her; she hoped so?

"If you breathe deeply," he said, "Then take your awareness here," he was pointing at her womb wasn't he, lower belly anyhow, "This is the centre of our power where our chi is stored."

Veronica automatically rested a hand on her belly, "You mean here," she asked and he nodded.

"The Dan Tien," he said.

"The what," she didn't understand?

"Dan Tien," he repeated, "It is our centre and our provider, to visualise there is to add the power of chi to your want."

She'd never thought about doing that it hadn't been in any of her books, "And it works," she asked, "Is that what you do?"

Before he could answer all hell broke loose…

Mike wished he could stop sweating but it was impossible due to nerves, fear made him sweat even on a cold day and this wasn't a cold day plus he was wearing a mask, a mask is almost 35 degrees he felt like passing out. He had supplied the masks, DJ had cloned the security cards and Ox had come up with the guns, untraceable he had vowed.

Their inside contact had told them what day money was held in the safe and that the safe didn't have a timer, it could be opened if you had the combination. Third floor, east side, fewer cameras and almost no guards the job was a piece of cake.

Mike hadn't had much cake in his life and he was due, he owed Big Larry twenty big ones by the end of the month and if he didn't pay….

Half a million said his contact, at least that much on a Thursday, split three ways that would leave Mike plenty to start a new life with, Rio maybe or Madrid he quite fancied Spain having Spanish blood on his mother's side.

Mike had done raids before, admittedly not on this scale (mostly liquor stores) but he knew how to frighten people and how to shoot. DJ was a bit of a nerd but tough with it and sharp, Ox was the wild card big and brutish with a crazy temper. "Don't lose it in there," Mike had told him more than once knowing a cool head was key to success.

"You can trust me," Ox had replied but the guy couldn't avoid fighting he liked it too much, like hurting people. If he'd had a choice Mike wouldn't have used DJ and Ox on this job, they didn't have the experience or temperament but he'd been desperate, Big Larry liked to amputate and favoured hedge clippers. Mike's first choices were in prison, laid up with flu or out of the country so DJ and Ox it was, if they obeyed orders things would be cool if not.

Mask down Mike kicked the door to finance and waded in, his weapon thrust forward ready to fire.

"Nobody move," he barked and nobody did – not the short bald runt, not the honey of a receptionist not the half-breed janitor and not the paunchy aging guard; at least to begin with.

Then the guard did something very stupid for a man his age and so close to retirement, he went for his gun; what the hell was he thinking of that he could nail three young desperadoes despite his arthritis and lumbago?

Even so Ox shouldn't have shot him, Ox had been close enough to disarm the guy and choke him out so why open fire, but that was Ox big, dumb and trigger happy?

So Ox fired and Bert collapsed with a cry and a splash of red, lots of red actually.

"No," Mike shoved the gun aside but it was too late and he knew it, "You moron," he snarled as somewhere an alarm went off and something else made of metal clunked into place.

Quick as a ghost the janitor was by Bert's side inspecting the wound, removing the old fella's belt to tie it around the leg to create a torn…something or other, a strap for stopping arterial bleed and the bleeding did slow down a lot.

Bert was told to lie still and breathe, to remain silent; good advice and this from a mere flunky, Mike was impressed. Caine said the name tag and Caine was a cool one in a crisis, more at ease than any of them.

"Oh my god," Jay blubbered having turned a strange colour; he needed to hang onto the photocopier and looked ready to heave his breakfast across it. Veronica was shaking, just trembling with terror, her mind starting to shut down; this was all so unreal like a TV show, things like this didn't happen to people like her.

"We want the money in the safe," Mike snapped, "Who knows the combination," his eyes flicked around the room, "Which one of you can open the damn safe," he bellowed, "Bitch," he fixed on Ronny?

"I…I don't know," she stammered.

"Don't like to me baby."

"I'm not lying, I never touch cash."

Jay was regarded next, "Hey baldy get the safe open."

Normally Jay would have reacted with venom to such an insult but this time he was green featured and shrunken.

"I can't help you," he gasped.

"Why not," Mike demanded, "You look senior like one of the bosses here, I bet you know the combination."

Ox hovered menacing close to Jay, twice as big and with a thick main of black curly hair like a grizzly.

"I don't know the combination," jay bleated, "Why would I?"

"Your tag says office manager," DJ's voice had a whining quality to it like a kid denied an ice cream, "You must know how to open the safe, Ox hurt him."

Mike stopped the giant with a stare nobody else was to get hurt, that wasn't why they were here.

"Be smart Jay and help us before anyone else gets hurt like this girl, she's a sexy little number."

Shrinking inside her dress Ronny now regretted the high hem line and low neck, why had she worn something so revealing? Okay it was a hot day but even so she couldn't have opted for a suit.

Jay sneered, "She's a nobody just a temp."

Mike was amazed, "She's a woman do you want to see a woman hurt?"

It was the janitor Caine who spoke next cool and measured, "Nobody will be hurt," he said rising to his full impressive height, almost as tall as Ox except slender and loose limbed, "Jay will open the safe," he said.

Face darkening the bald man threw Caine a contemptuous stare, "Like hell I will," he said, "Are you in with these animals Caine?"

This earned Jay a blow to the stomach off Ox, fist not gun butt but the little man still doubled over with a groan and sank to his knees.

At once the janitor was between victim and attacker a living barrier, no more violence said his expression, "Why hurt those who can help you," so reasonable so in control despite three guns and big Ox the man mountain?

"Can you help us," Mike demanded, "Can you open the safe?"

"If I do," Caine responded, "Will you leave us in peace?"

Odd thing to say most guys would have begged for their lives, will you leave us alive but this one had used the phrase _leave us in peace_ who talked like that anymore?

"He's just the handyman how can he open the damn safe," DJ droned?

"I don't know," Mike admitted, "Maybe he's one very smart handyman, are you Caine?"

With a shrug Caine eased away from Jay and went over to the left wall easing a picture of San Francisco Harbour aside. Watching him closely Ronny was puzzled, could Caine open such a modern, sophisticated safe, would he help these thugs, would the thugs leave everyone alive?

"Don't do it Caine," Jay spluttered from the floor white cheeked.

"Shut up," Mike warned then to the tall man, "Go ahead maestro show us what you can do."

Placing both palms over the tumbler Caine didn't actually touch it, parting his hands he moved both outwards in a horizontal line then up to the top of the safe, next he traced its outline in the air with his fingertips as if parting invisible spider webs.

DJ was jumpy, "What the hell is he doing some kind of slow motion dance?"

Ronny looked on captivated and a gasp escaped her lips when the safe gave a low clunk followed by a series of bleeps and the tumbler turned of its own accord, stepping back humbly Caine nodded for Mike to try.

The safe opened easily at the first attempt, "Pretty good," said the thief, "You must be some kind of wizard," but the humour died on his lips when he saw what was in the safe….nothing, it was completely empty.

Everyone was astounded, except Caine, the villains were furious.

"Where's the cash," Mike screamed, "The half million, where is it; this safe should be full of dollars."

Ronny shrugged, Jay blinked; Ox pushed Mike aside to explore the safe with a paw, "Nothing," he bellowed.

"I know," Mike retorted, "We were told," he cut himself off, "You baldy, where's the money."

Jay obviously didn't know he was clearly as bemused as everyone else. Ronny couldn't believe her eyes, it was Thursday and the safe was loaded.

"You bitch," DJ turned to her, "What's going on?"

Why did he think she would know, "But there was cash in there this morning I swear and the safe hasn't been emptied?"

Mike rounded on Caine, "What did you do janitor?"

The question was met with a shrug, "I clean, I fix things," Caine said humbly.

"He's nobody," DJ sneered.

"He opened the safe didn't he, maybe he opened it before we got here and helped himself," Mike responded, "That right China boy – you got sticky fingers?"

Ronny couldn't believe Caine was a thief he didn't look the type, plus he was a healer and a teacher he'd taken away her pain, plus there was the way he dressed it could not be called upmarket.

"You son of a bitch," Jay gulped from the floor.

"Caine isn't a thief," Ronny defended.

"How do you know," Jay questioned?

"Maybe the babe here is in on it with Caine," Mike calculated and all eyes fixed on Veronica who shook her head, why would anyone think her dishonest she never lied, never cheated; she was a Christian?

"Nobody has stolen anything," Caine's voice was calm and assured, "What you seek is not here," he told the gang, "Why stay any longer and risk capture?"

Good point thought Mike time was passing and this had all turned sour, but then there was Big Larry.

"Empty your pockets I want money, jewellery, phones anything of value."

It was a desperate even pathetic move but he couldn't think what else to do, DJ and Ox were clearly unhappy; this was not the big score they'd been promised.

"Half a million you said," grumbled the big man, Mike ignored him sweating under the mask, his guts churning at the thought of Big Larry chopping off a hand or foot.

Jay had 150 in cash, the girl much less but a good cell phone, the janitor had nothing even his clothing was junk. Had he pulled a fast one, Mike couldn't see how?

"That trick with the safe how did you do it," he asked having seen cracks men in action they all used tools, probes and had to touch the mechanism but this guy hadn't?

"Chi," the girl answered.

"Cheese," DJ was an idiot.

"Chi, energy, the life force," Said Ronny.

"Like in Star Wars," Ox said with scorn?

Caine sighed, "Each of us can tap into the power of the universe."

Mike was withering, "How about tapping into Fort Knox?"

"There are greater riches than mere money," the reply was not what he wanted to hear.

"You're an idiot Mr Janitor, no wonder you have such a lousy low level job."

"Don't talk to Caine like that," Ronny's sterling defence surprised everyone but she didn't care, she liked and admired Caine.

"You and he an item," Mike found it hard to believe but then the whole day was turning out like that?

"Why don't you just cut your losses and go," Jay picked himself up?

"Is there any other money in this damn place," Mike turned on the manager?

"Some petty cash I'll show you."

Mike nodded, ""Ox stay here and watch the two love birds," he and DJ followed the little man.

Caine eased over to Bert the security guard checking his leg and loosening the belt a little, clearly in a lot of pain Bert groaned, healing energy was given to him through his calf muscle and upper leg.

"Hey my whole leg is tingling, are you doing that?"

Caine smiled but the big robber wasn't happy, "No talking," he grunted. Bert chose to ignore this,

"Will I lose my leg, I can't be injured or out of work?"

"I said," Ox spun around to kick Bert viciously but as he did he found his leg checked by a bare foot that pressed into his shin bone.

"You would hurt a man already in pain," Caine questioned and Ox felt the red mist descend at this open defiance, Caine was his prisoner his hostage and victims did not answer back, they did not touch him not with their feet.

A huge fist swung down at Caine's head in a vicious arc but what happened next surprised everyone especially the owner of the fist.

Ronny looked down at the prone form of the giant who had landed on the other side of her, his skull connecting with a piece of shelving to render him unconscious. Caine had sort of tripped and thrown him using the big man's own momentum, it was an incredible move sort of like judo or aikido but done so quickly and effortlessly.

"Oh my god," she looked at the fallen gun, should she pick it up; what could she do with it if she did?

"Call for help," Caine advised.

What, oh yes 911 but as she went for the office phone a strong hand gripped her by the arm it belonged to the punk DJ he was back and so was Mike, both gazed bug eyed at the prone form of their colleague.

"Who," Mike began then looked at Caine, there was something about this janitor he was strange, powerful and too calm he knew things and could do things nobody else could, "kill him," he told DJ and DJ gave a howl of delight….just before a bare foot impacted with his jaw.

Ronny's heart almost stopped as Caine flew across the room like a great bird defying gravity; she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

DJ fell without a sound then there was the last man, he was disarmed in a second his wrist bent right back then Caine hit him somehow not a boxing punch but moves she wasn't familiar with – exotic and sinewy.

"Freeze," said another voice it was her boss Jay and Jay had a gun of his own. Why was he pointing it at her when the bad guys were defeated, lying in piles on the floor?

Wait a second _how_ had Jay acquired a gun when he was a prisoner like them, unless he wasn't, unless he was….

"You're in on this," Ronny had said the words before her brain could play catch up, Jay was the inside man he had told these punks about the cash in the safe.

"You're an exceptional man Mr Caine but I'm too far away for kicks and chops plus you don't want me to hurt Ronny now do you, so tell me where the money is; where did you stash it?"

Ronny had never seen the office manager like this so fired up, so angry and so greedy. Caine waved at the open safe but Jay wasn't having that,

"It's empty we've all seen that you showed us before so don't try and…." His eyes bulged in amazement so did Veronica's the safe contained bundle after bundle of notes, thick wads of hundred dollar bills literally a fortune but where had it come from, how come it hadn't been there before?

"What is this," Jay snarled going over to the safe, "What are you some kind of master illusionist another David Copperfield," he touched one of the massive wads to make sure it was real and it seemed to be, "Get me a bag or sack," he barked, "Something to put this in."

"You can't," Ronny pleaded, "This isn't right."

Shut up said the vicious glare, "You Caine get me a sack of some kind, do it or I shoot her."

Would he, could he, they were colleagues. With a shrug Caine went over to a storage cupboard and took out one of those heavy duty green collection bags it had 'mail' printed on the side.

"Bring it over here and fill it, put all the money inside and no tricks." Jay moved well out of the way having seen Caine in action he wasn't taking any chances. Swiftly and without effort it seemed Caine filled the green bag putting all the wads inside just as Jay wanted.

"Now get me a trolley something to push this with, it's too heavy for me to carry on my back."

Leaving the room only briefly the janitor returned with a mail trolley on castors, he hoisted the bag onto this then stood aside.

"Nobody follows me and don't bother pressing the panic button I've cut the wires, the phone doesn't work either by the way."

Ronny watched him go with tears in her eyes, how could anyone sink to this level; did Jay really think he could get away with this?

"We must do something," she said, "Tell someone, this is a major felony."

Looking untroubled Caine just sighed,

"I think," He said, "It would be wise to close the safe now, we don't want company profits to go missing."

She was dumbstruck, what was he talking about, then she saw the open safe – full of money, the money Jay had just stolen and wheeled out, it was still there but how…it was impossible?

"How do you do these things Caine, who are you," she asked. His only response was a humble shrug as he palmed the safe door shut.


End file.
